Project Based Learning Examples

PowerPoint of Project Based Learning Examples

NOTE: Reflections will be posted each week to your group blog. Responses to other groups reflections on their blogs will be a comment post to those reflections. Please see rubric for Reading Reflections.

Covers the Introduction, "I'll Never Go Back", and Chapter 1, Mapping the Journey -- Seeing The Big Picture, of Reinventing Project-Based Learning, p. 2 to 24.

Your reflection should include:

1. Discussion on what you need to keep in mind as you start the journey through Project-Based Learning (PBL).
2. Discussion on the overall benefits of the PBL approach.
3. Discussion on the benefits to student who participate in PBL.
4. Discussion on what issues need to be considered in PBL approach.
5. Discussion on New Technology High as an example of New Technology Model.

DUE DATE: Reflection is due by Friday, January 27, 2012. Responses to two other groups' reflections are due by Monday, January 30, 2012.

EDT3470 is based on an educational approach called Project-Based Learning (PBL). As the name suggests, in PBL students learn while working on projects. These projects are complex tasks that involve challenging questions. These projects include elements of design, problem-solving, decision making and/or investigative activities. Students typically work collaboratively and relatively autonomously over extended periods of time (days, weeks, or even months). They often culminate in realistic products or presentations. Examples include students doing all the research and preparations necessary to:

* Staying Healthy
* Writing and Putting On A Play
* Building .... (Playground Equipment, Boat (fake or real), Plane (fake), etc.
* Gardening
* Weather Monitoring
* Classroom Kitchen/Catering
* Birding
* Water Resources
* Local History

Other defining features of PBL instruction include authentic content, authentic assessment, teacher facilitation but not direction, explicit educational goals, reflection, the incorporation of multiple content areas (math, history, science, literature, etc.) and the development of 21st Century skills, such as teamwork, collaboration and project management. Various digital technologies are also often incorporated in PBL. That is the portion of the project based learning concept that we will focus on -- technology integration.

In EDT3470, you will work collaboratively on developing pieces of a PBL unit that you could use with your students when you become a teacher. Each of your weekly assignments will apply to this single PBL unit that you and your team will develop over the course of the semester. Your team should be working towards a big project (conclusion) of this unit.

The first step to begin your semester-long collaboration of your Project is to organize a team. As with any collaboration, you will need to meet throughout the semester with other team members and therefore, you are required to work with other students in your EDT3470 lab session. Once everyone has chosen the topic they would like to work on for the semester, the teams of 3 will be formed. You will then sign a Group Conduct Policy, which will be reviewed by the instructor in lab. This Group Conduct Policy will be signed by you and will be used the whole semester. Signed Group Conduct Policy will be turned in to your instructor.

Assignment I - Collaborative Blog

Your team will create a blog using the following:

http://www.blogger.com

This blog will be used throughout the semester for reflecting on each chapter in the textbook, Reinventing Project-Based Learning: Your Field guide to Real-World Projects in the Digital Age. Each week required discussions will be posted on the EDT3470 web site and in Desire2Learn. These reflections will be posted each week by Friday at midnight. You will then need to respond to two other groups' reflections by the following Monday at midnight. Each week reflection and responses are worth 25 points. Please see rubric for Reading Reflections.

PRIOR TO SETTING UP BLOG: You must have a Google Account -- Gmail email account. If you do not, you need to go to Google to set up an email account (each team member).

SETTING UP BLOG: One team member will create a Google Account (if you have not got one). Then you will go to Blogger.com and create a blog. Once you have the blog set up, you will need to go to Settings and click on Permission. Then click on Add Authors. You will them type in the email addresses of your team members and send them an invitation. Once they have accepted the invitation -- they will have to also set up a Google Account if they don't have one -- then the person creating the blog needs to make them ADMIN of the blog too.

SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT: Once you have created your blog, you will attach your blog address in the Blog Discussion Board area of Module #2 under your team topic. Once you have posted your blog URL in Desire2Learn (D2L), each group member will receive 40 points.

DUE DATE: Creation of blog and posting of blog address is due by 11:59 p.m., Friday, January 27, 2012.

NOTE: Once all Blog URLs have been posted, your instructor will create links in Desire2Learn (D2L) under Blog URLS found in Content.

Your group will then begin discussing ideas for Assignment II.

Assignment II -- INSPIRATION

Inspiration is a software that allows either students or the teacher to create visual organizing charts called concept maps. There is also a program for use in early elementary and early childhood called Kidspiration. These programs are easy to use and offer a wide variety of graphics that help to make the concept maps attractive and connected to the topic being addressed.

After you have organized your teams, you should use Inspiration or Kidspiration as a planning tool to help you develop ideas for your Project. This will be an ongoing assignment and be revised as the semester progresses. Your Collaborative Inspiration Concept Map must contain all main ideas for your Project and the names of the pages -- for example, the Resource page file should be resource.htm (see sample below).

This assignment is graded in 3 parts -- Part A -- inserting into a post the Draft version of your Concept Map on your Blog on February 3 (25 points), Part B -- inserting into a post the revised Concept Map on your Blog on March 2(25 points), and inserting into a post your revised/Final Concept Map on your Blog (Part A of Assignment IX) on due date April 20 (50 points). All three concept maps MUST be on your blog by the end of the semester.

SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENT: The Collaborative Inspiration Concept Maps will be attached in Blog. You will need to export the concept map as an image and then attach it to the blog.

DUE DATE: Part A - Collaborative Inspiration is due on blog by 11:59 p.m., Friday, February 3, 2012.

NOTE: All assignments have specific due dates. Late assignments will lose 10 points for each WEEK they are late. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Reading Reflection Rubric

Sample Inspiration

You can download a free 30-day trial for Inspiration and/or Kidspiration by clicking on the links below.

Inspiration Trial (10 Megs) Kidspiration Trial (16 Megs)

To learn more about blogs, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog

Web Sites to learn more about Project Based Learning:
Edutopia
PBL-Online
BIE Institute for PBL
PBL: Exemplary Projects
4Teachers.org PBL
Houghton-Mifflin Project Based Learning Space
Intel Teach Elements: Project Based Approaches
New Tech Network
High Tech High School
GlobalSchoolhouse.net